Can Chiropractic Help Crawling Issues?

There’s an old saying that you have to crawl before you can walk. The problem with that is not everybody crawls.

If your baby is having issues crawling – such as refusing to crawl, not looking up while crawling or crawling in an awkward position – it might be signaling an underlying issue. Of course, not all babies crawl the same way, but making sure everything is lined up can set your child up for developmental success.

A pediatric chiropractor can examine the alignment of the spine to see if this is slowing down any of that critical development in these early stages of life. Walking should not be encouraged too soon, since crawling can help in a variety of structural and neurological ways.

A baby’s spine is in the shape of the letter C when it’s born, from being compressed inside the womb. Because of this, and the difficulty of the birthing process, tiny shifts in the spine can lead to misalignment – which puts stress on how well the nervous system communicates with the brain.

For proper development, the spine needs to align correctly and should form three curves – a forward curve in the neck, a backward curve in the middle back, and a forward curve in the low back. The curvature of the spine helps promote strength and durability in the spine.

Before crawling, the importance of giving the baby time on its tummy is crucial. Lying on their tummies helps strengthen neck muscles as well as the core, and helps encourage looking around. It can help motor skills, and stimulate the brain. Younger infants might find this time on their tummies to be frustrating, but it will pay dividends later when they’re strong enough to see more easily.

Proper crawling can aid in the development in this proper curvature, but it does more than just that. As the baby crawls, the pattern of the left knee moving in concert with the right hand, and right knee moving with the left hand stimulates brain growth as well as coordination. That means correct crawling gives your baby the best chance at developing that correct curvature, and promotes a healthy nervous system.

If your baby is refusing to crawl, and instead incorporates pushing off with one hand or scooting, that could also indicate something going on with the structure of the spine. The child might be able to get around adequately, but he or she may be missing out on that vital development. Chiropractic care is a non-invasive way to confirm the proper curvature is in place, and can identify other issues that may be going on with your child.

For more information on how pediatric chiropractic care can help your little one with crawling and other issues with development, contact Dr. Morgan Sheridan at Foundation Chiropractic today.